Napa quake: Obama declares major disaster, freeing up aid

Andrew Brooks, associate winemaker (right), and winemaker Michael Richmond of Bouchaine winery in Napa tackle the cleanup in the barrel room after the quake.

Andrew Brooks, associate winemaker (right), and winemaker Michael Richmond of Bouchaine winery in Napa tackle the cleanup in the barrel room after the quake.

Photo: Erik Castro, Special To The Chronicle

Photo: Erik Castro, Special To The Chronicle

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Andrew Brooks, associate winemaker (right), and winemaker Michael Richmond of Bouchaine winery in Napa tackle the cleanup in the barrel room after the quake.

Andrew Brooks, associate winemaker (right), and winemaker Michael Richmond of Bouchaine winery in Napa tackle the cleanup in the barrel room after the quake.

Photo: Erik Castro, Special To The Chronicle

Napa quake: Obama declares major disaster, freeing up aid

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President Obama declared a major disaster for Napa and Solano counties on Thursday after the magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck Aug. 24, freeing up emergency federal funding to bolster recovery efforts.

Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency shortly after the quake and sent a letter requesting the declaration on Sept. 2.

The White House didn't say how much money would become available, but a preliminary assessment by the governor's office found $87 million in earthquake costs that could be eligible for federal reimbursement.

Funds are available for some tribal and local governments and nonprofit groups.

Official estimates out of Napa County put the damage estimate at more than $400 million, with more than $83 million of that damage sustained by wineries.

In Vallejo, the largest city in Solano County, damage estimates topped $5 million.

Federal assistance could go a long way in helping businesses in the Napa area as well as the government agencies responsible for repairing roads, schools and municipal buildings.

Business owners could apply for low-interest loans to cover as much as $2 million for earthquake damage under federal programs.

Government agencies, usually on the hook for much larger repair projects, would generally get 75 percent of their costs reimbursed by the federal government.

More than 200 people were injured when the quake struck at 3:20 a.m. south of the city of Napa in American Canyon.

Laurie Anne Thompson, 65, became the first fatality related to the earthquake after she was hit by a falling television when the quake struck and she suffered a head injury. She died Wednesday after an undiagnosed intracranial hemorrhage.

Last year the president initially rejected the governor's request to help cover damages from the Rim Fire, the catastrophic blaze that burned through many Sierra communities and along the western edge of Yosemite National Park.

The state appealed the rejection, and the president agreed to assist with the recovery.